Clergy Notes — Sunday, December 22, 2019

In these final days of Advent our focus turns to the coming of the Lord in the Christ-child of Bethlehem, this tiny, vulnerable baby who embodies the hope and longing of Israel of old, and, for us Christians, our hope and longing today. We hear again the great hymn, O come, O come Emmanuel, inspired by the traditional ‘O’ antiphons proper to the Magnificat at Evening Prayer in this last week of Advent.

Each antiphon addresses the Christ by one of his titles: Wisdom, Adonai – Lawgiver, Root of Jesse, Key of David, Rising Sun, King of the Nations, Emmanuel – God-with-us. As we look around our divided and broken world, how we long for the coming anew of God amongst us, with divine Wisdom, with Justice and Peace, as Light in darkness.

The Lord says, “Surely I come quickly!” Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

May Christ be born in and through us this Christmastide.

With every blessing for Christmas and all that 2020 will bring,

Fr Kevin